1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to office processing by a computer, and more particularly to a slip processing method which may be suitably applied to the automation of job processing performed by a plurality of persons or departments in which a frequency of use is several times per long term such as month, quarter of a year or year and a frequency of update of specification is once per several times of use.
2. Description of the Related Art
A prior art job processing computer is classified into two types, a formatted job type and an non-fixed forms of business process type, and software is provided for each type. In the "fixed forms of business process", slips of the same format are daily and repeatedly used and it corresponds to stem job such as sales management and inventory management. In the "non-fixed forms of business process", a document which will be used only once is prepared and it corresponds to word processing or decision making support system.
However, common office jobs include a job in which, while forms of a predetermined input format are used, the frequency of use is once per long term such as month, quarter or year and the input format is updated once per several times of use. Such a job is called a "quasi-formatted job". The forms used in the quasi-formatted job are handled by a plurality of persons and handling procedures may vary from office to office. As a result, even if an attempt to computerize the job is made to save manpower, too much cost is required to develop and modify the system and the computerization in this field is behind. Prior art for reducing the cost required to develop and modify the system includes the fourth generation language (4 GL), spread sheet software and formatted document preparation software. Typical products of the 4GL are LINC and MAPPER of UNISYS. Typical products of the spread sheet are Lotus 1-2-3 of Lotus Development and Wingz of Informix. A typical product of the formatted document preparation software is EGForm of ERGOSOFT Corp. MVA of SAS Institute Japan is one of groupware-oriented job softwares having data compatibility with another systems.
The "quasi-formatted job" in the prior art are characterized by:
(1) An input form of a predetermined format is used. PA1 (2) Inputted forms are processed by to a plurality of members in an office for totalization. PA1 (3) Though the input forms are used at a frequency of several times per long term such as month, quarter or year, the format of the input forms is non-periodically revised every time processing or organization are modified. Namely, the format of the input forms changes to some extent for each use. PA1 (4) In many case, data in a form are used in a processing with respect to the form. Thus, data in another forms are rarely used. PA1 (1) An input form with a free style format including a plurality of tables can be defined. PA1 (2) The forms can be totalized without using a database. PA1 (3) The forms can be transmitted through a VAN. PA1 (1) Format information and data information of the entry form are stored in one file with the format of the entry form comprising a plurality of tables and, each table comprising a plurality of entries (cells) and data is stored for each item. PA1 (2) Retrieval and totalization are performed by referencing the files. PA1 (3) The format information of the form on which the totalization data is to be entered, the totalization data and the process information in the totalization are stored in a form transferrable on a network.
When a system for the quasi-formatted job is developed, the following conditions are required.
In the prior art 4GL, an input form of a predetermined format is used and the data is calculated on the database by using the database. The prior art UNISYS LINC aims to develop a comprehensive information system based on an on-line database system with cooperation of an end user. It is characterized by that fundamental portions of the database and the processing logic are automatically generated by merely defining the display format. When the system for computerizing the quasi-formatted job by using the LINC, the input form is defined by using the display format define function and the structure of the database depends on the specification of the input form.
However, in the quasi-formatted job, the specification of the input form is frequently changed, and each time the input form is changed, the structure of the database must also be changed. The database is intended to save or reuse the data but it is unnecessary function to the quasi-formatted job, and the job is slowed if the reconfiguration of the database is made each time the input form is changed. Accordingly, it is difficult to effect the processing with the database and the LINC is not suitable for a tool in developing the system for computerizing the quasi-formatted job.
The UNISYS MAPPER is intended to realize high end information processing which requires experts of job and management, by a leader ship of an end user. The MAPPER is suitable to the mechanization of job which has heretofore been difficult to computerize because of small quantity and large number of types and the mechanization unique to the department. In a specific operation method, a command is issued from a terminal to the database to process the database so that desired information is prepared. The prepared form may be transmitted to other work station by an electronic mail.
However, the preparation of the form is limited to the data in the database or the data which the user interactively enters, and the totalization based on the data of the forms prepared by the user is not attained. Accordingly, the MAPPER is not a suitable tool for developing the system for computerizing the quasi-formatted job. (Reference is made to "Feature and Advantages of the Fourth Generation Language, UNISYS Japan LINC/MAPPER" BUSINESS AND MANAGEMENT, 1991 April, pp 8-9).
The spread sheet is known as means for computerizing the quasi-formatted job without using the database. An object of the spread sheet is a tabulation function and graphic representation thereof. While the tabulation function is perfect, it is not possible to prepare an entry form comprising a set of tables because it is intended to calculate on a single table. The Lotus 1-2-3 allows the skewer operation in which various operations are performed for corresponding data among a plurality of forms, but the formats of the forms must be totally identical because the skewer operation is attained by a three-dimensional data processing function. (Reference is made to Lotus product catalogue)
The Informix Wingz can simultaneously display a plurality of forms on multi-windows to skewer a plurality of data but it does not have the skewer operation function. (Reference is made to Wingz product catalogue)
Thus, the prior art is not suitable for the quasi-formatted job because it lacks the following function.
Make totalization or prepare a list for a plurality of forms of non-uniform formats. PA0 Display a plurality of tables on one form without regard to the number of lines and the number of digits. PA0 Invention relating to a free style format (JP-A-62-248064) PA0 Invention relating to distribution of slips (JP-A-64-38869) PA0 Invention relating to data processing by-using a plurality of tables (JP-A-1-231172) PA0 Invention relating to totalization (JP-A-2-24778)
The ERGOSOFT EGForm is intended to prepare a format of a slip. The format preparation function of the EGForm is superior to that of the spread sheet and it has a function of add, subtract, multiply and divide. The EGForm includes an image for saving a plurality of documents of the same format and can centrally manage a plurality of forms and retrieve, extract and rearrange the forms. However, the EGForm cannot centrally manage slips of different formats and it does not have the skewer operation function, unlike the spread sheet, because it is intended to issue and print the slips. (Reference is made to EGForm product catalogue)
The application system SAS Institute MVA which allows the execution of the job processing independently from the hardware includes the decision making support as a main function. (Reference is made to MVA product catalogue)
The prior art used in the commercially available products has been described above. Related prior art is described below.
Text information and information on a slip are stored in two independent formats, and they are managed by an overlay management unit to change a layout of the slip as required to calculate among cells and calculate a plurality of slips. A plurality of tables can be displayed on a screen but the calculation of the slips is limited to the slips having the same format.
Format information and entry data are separated and only the entry data is transmitted so that the amount of data transmitted is reduced to improve the response of the system. Since the format information is stored in each terminal, the totalization of entry data from terminals having different slip formats is not allowed.
In an office computer, a user specifies a plurality of slip files and output locations thereof and the specified slip files are outputted to the specified output locations on one page so that desired data is readily generated to comprehensively determine the content of the account job. The data of a plurality of slip files (tables) are processed for easy look-out and it is displayed on the screen but the simultaneous processing of the plurality of slip file (tables) is not attained.
Data are totalized based on a pre-defined totalization level and it is temporarily stored, and the types of data to be outputted, of the stored data ares specified so that the data can be totalized by the simple setting operation to specify the types of data to be totalized. It is necessary to define an upper totalization level by defining means and the totalization level depends on the types of files which store the data. Accordingly, it is not suitable to the quasi-formatted job in which the types of files which store the data are frequently changed.